


Breaking the Bond

by askynote



Category: Gravity Falls, Over the Garden Wall (Cartoon)
Genre: Adventure, Alternate Universe - Daemons, Gen, M/M, Post-Canon, Romance, pinescone
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-02-08
Updated: 2016-06-18
Packaged: 2018-05-18 23:32:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 12,416
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5947474
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/askynote/pseuds/askynote
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p><em>What would happen if your soul lived outside of your body? If it reflected your 'inner-self in the shape of an animal?</em><br/>---<br/>Months after their journey through The Unknown, Wirt and Greg find themselves in the search of unanswered questions in a mysterious town they’d never heard of before, and in their fourth year in Gravity Falls, the Pines twins could be their only way out of the problem.</p>
<p>Feelings blossom, an old threat rises, stronger, with new goals on mind. Basically, just another summer in Gravity Falls.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. A Call for Help

**Author's Note:**

> A huge thanks to my friend [asexualtadashihamada](http://asexualtadashihamada.tumblr.com/) for helping me in sorting out the plot and deciding the form for each daemon. Believe me, this wouldn't be here if it wasn't for her.  
> Also, you don't have to read His Dark Materials to understand this fic, because not everything in canon is going to be taken verbatim.

Wirt had never hated his dæmon. It did not matter how everyone thought he did or how angry he could get to her. He just couldn’t hate her. She was a part of him, she had always been there. For a long, long time, she was the only one who he talked to, who truly understood him. And then, high school knocked his door and the frustration of having an unsettled dæmon came along the way.

Walking around the halls, trying to be unseen, Zoë always struggling to stay in a single form, a tiny one that could hide easily. It was easier to fade into the background. No one could bother him, no one would notice him. But the world refused, putting him on the spot over and over again.

Until one day it was enough.

“Leave me alone, Zoë!” he shouted, with the autumn wind buzzing slightly in his ears. Police sirens resonated in the distance.

His life was crumbling.

So he ran. Away from his brother, away from his dæmon, without caring about the uncomfortable pressure on his chest as he went further and farther. Everyone tried to reach him, but he ignored them all.

He climbed over the wall, standing in the middle of the rails and his brother just  _ wouldn’t _ leave him alone. He didn’t know, he didn’t know any of what was going through Wirt’s mind. He was a kid, naïve, but that didn’t give him any right of messing everything up.

“Once again you ruined my life!”

The separation hurt. The train whistled, the chugging getting louder. He jumped off the hill when the light blinded him and rolled, breaking through the ice. And he found himself wandering into the woods. His brother was there, a frog too and the constant pain telling him something was missing.

After the long exhaustive journey, he could still picture the cold; the snow falling, covering the Edelwood trees, a deep voice singing a sweet lullaby, the lyrics with a much darker meaning, he hadn’t paid attention to.

And along the way he changed. He was different. He looked at his little brother with new eyes. He was better, he was going to be better.

Chilled water filled his lungs as he struggled to stay conscious. A single thought popping in his mind.  _ Greg. _ He had to get them out. He held his brother and his dæmon tightly as he managed to break the surface.

“Wirt!” A too familiar female voice called. He squinted his eyes as the silhouette of a bird blocked his view.  

“B-Beatrice?”

No. It couldn’t be. He wasn’t there anymore.

“C’mon!”

And he remembered.

His eyes focused as her dæmon hauled him, tugging at his coat. She was small and her frame was not enough to hold the three of them, so Wirt kept fighting against the dizziness.

It was not until they were warm and wrapped in blankets at the hospital when Wirt looked at Zoë, at her brown feathers and knew she wouldn’t transform again.

She had settled.

Wirt’s head collided harshly with the window when they passed a bump, and he rubbed his eyes, putting the memories in the back of his mind. Zoë was curled on his lap, and he caressed the top of her head. A king quail, they had researched as soon as they had been discharged.

Now, his parents were worried. In all honesty, they were always worried. Worried because he didn't have a good relationship with his brother, worried he was self-enclosed and they were not doing a good job to get him out of his shell as their relatives often told them. Some of those worries had been pushed away. But the new one? They feared something inside him was broken.

Wirt tapped his fingers repeatedly in his thigh, reconsidering if he truly was. The thing was...he didn't feel like that way. He wasn't the same person as he was months ago, but he didn't feel broken. He felt better, a little bruised yeah, but better nonetheless.

He could separate from his dæmon at way larger distances than normal. Big deal. But then again, it somehow was, because as far as Wirt was concerned, no one should’ve been able to do it, besides witches, and Wirt was certain he wasn't one. 

He was severed and as strange as it was, Zoë and he still fit. 

They didn’t know if Greg was in the same boat as him because no one dared to try and stretch their bond. After all, Ronald had followed them to the Unknown and despite that, Wirt was torn between the idea of being an illusion of Greg’s mind or if he actually accompanied them. It wouldn’t be the first time his brother’s dæmon did something unusual. He _ was _ odd.

But the current reality was that they were terrified. They had never dealt with a situation like this one. They feared the consequences would show up slowly till the moment he deteriorated.

The first time they had asked for help had been a disaster. They had gone to the emporium of a local witch and clairvoyant. She had been...well…a little too much extravagant and overwhelming for his like. Besides, she wouldn’t stop getting off the subject, more interested in telling him that his future would be full of surprises.

He didn’t need more, thank you very much.

Greg had been the one who found about the paranormal investigator in a little town called Gravity Falls. There wasn’t a lot of information about him, but their parents had been desperate enough to buy the tickets. The trip was planned and scheduled for the major part of the summer. If it didn’t work out the way they wanted, they were stuck in that place.  

“Wirt! Wirt! It’s so cool!” Greg exclaimed, smashing his face into the other window. Ronald was a green parrot, using Greg’s head as a perch to check out the place too. 

They parked beside the old-fashioned, rustic cabin, and the lump in his throat got bigger. 

“I can go alone while you check-in?” Wirt suggested, his voice forced. 

“Are you sure hon?” His mom eyed him through the rearview mirror and Wirt tried not to wince.

No, he wasn't sure anymore if he wanted to know his fate. He didn't even want to be here. But Zoë and he decided to do this just the two. It wasn't personal but he did not want them to hear the truth. He’d read about someone who couldn't stand the tearing and eventually died. If his case was close to that, he didn't want them to know. He had already seen their parents’ reactions when they’d nearly drown, their glassy eyes at the mere thought of losing their children. 

“Yeah,” he croaked as Zoë flew to his shoulder. “I'll call you when I'm done talking with him. I don't think we will do more than that.”

At his side, Ronald turned into a puppy, a fluffy white ball of pure cuteness, meaning his brother was going to plead and prepare his appearance to seem akin to the most adorable animal he could imagine. “Can I  _ please _ go with you?”

“I prefer to do this alone, Greg.”

“No, you don't,” he said, maybe half expecting him to say ‘yeah, you are right. I changed my mind, let's go all inside!’ but when Wirt’s sternness didn't falter he puffed, “But I-”

“If we get to an agreement, you can come with me tomorrow.”

Greg’s face fell, but he was not going to get a better offer so he looked him half expectant instead.

“Is that a rock fact?”

“It's a rock fact,” Wirt assured, ruffling his hair. 

Even with the car disappearing and Wirt was left with the only company of his dæmon, he didn’t dare to go inside. He gulped. He wasn’t from a big city but this place was quiet. However, it didn’t give him a sense of tranquility, it was disconcerting, unnerving. The trees, vast and tall; the sweet harmony of birds chirping, it was all a mask of what was hidden deep in the forest. 

“How long are we going to stand here?” Zoë demanded, sounding slightly annoyed. 

Wirt shivered, choosing to finally walk to the shack, avoiding to pay attention at his paranoid side screaming him to run away. “Sorry. You know, forest are...reminders.”

If he was spending a month in the middle of nowhere he would have to get used to it. It was summer, he would face lakes and pools too. 

Before Wirt could push the handle, Zoë mumbled, “M’sorry,” very soft, he could barely make out what she had said and Wirt didn’t need context to understand what she meant.

She blamed herself for what had happened. A few days after the incident, Zoë had avoided Wirt and Wirt had avoided her. Her dæmon felt guilty. If she had settled sooner, none of that would've occurred, if she had stopped Wirt, they wouldn't have almost died. And Wirt was an idiot and had been afraid and hurt. It was a lot to process. 

In retrospect, they shouldn’t have let their insecurities take over them, that had been the icing on the cake, what made his parents freaked out.

“Hey, we’ve talked about it. None of this was your fault. If anything is  _ mine _ . But there's nothing to do about it, the only thing left is to fix what we did wrong. Good things came out that night, remember?”

Zoë hummed, affirming or denying nothing. Wirt gave no indication of moving. Both needed to be ready. 

“Do you think we c-could-?”

“That’s what we are going to find out.” 

The bird nodded. 

With a shaky breath, he opened the door.    


* * *

“Oh my god, I can’t believe this,” Dipper said breathlessly trying to stop for a second, his dæmon nudging his waist, pushing him to keep him moving. Behind him, a loud growl bristled his skin,  and he ran faster making sure his sister and both dæmons were at his side.

Great Uncle Ford was starting his new research and as Dipper had watched him going back and forth with thousands of speculations - it had been difficult to keep it up with the way he left sentences half-finished - he had explained to him that he needed to adventure in the woods to find the main items.

Craving for an opportunity of exploring and learning new things, Dipper had suggested he and Mabel could go to get them while their Great Uncle kept focusing on the details of that new project.

After the events of the apocalypse in their first summer in town, the grunkles - especially Grunkle Stan, even if he didn't say it aloud - had been so reluctant to let them go on their own in the forest. They hadn't made them stay inside all day, no, it wouldn't have worked, but they always made sure they got everything they needed in Dipper’s backpack, like perfect mothers hen. 

That lasted weeks until they realized they were exaggerating. If the twins could handle a demonic triangle, they could overcome any minor threat as well. So, Grunkle Ford had accepted his idea, giving them the directions of where it could be.

It didn't take long to the twins to find the location. The hardest part was getting inside the cave, sneaking out, grab the object and get out of there again without being noticed.

They failed at the last step.

“Well, you can’t say you didn’t miss this all through the year, huh?” Mabel elbowed him with a smile. “Mystery Twins are on a roll today!”

His laughter beat him. Yes, he'd missed this. He had missed going outside, facing a new challenge every day. He was good in a bunch of things back in Piedmont - math, physics, chemistry - but nothing made him as happy as being in Gravity Falls, solving mysteries and dealing with the paranormal. He was good at it and it made him happy.

Even if that was hard to believe with a gremloblin hot on their heels. 

They needed to be at an acceptable distance, so he could check for a weapon to stop the thing. Mabel had hit it with her grappling hook but that only made it angrier.

“We can't bring him near the Shack!” Dipper shouted at her, grasping her hand to pull her out of the way when the gremloblin tore out two trees and threw them in their direction. It didn’t hit them, but it blocked their path, slowing them down.

“Maybe if we jump high enough, we could prick its eyes,” Mabel suggested.

Dipper shook his head. “Did you bring a-” He was cut off when he tripped over his own feet, all the stuff of the backpack scattering on the ground. His shoelaces untied again. Great timing.

“Are you kidding me?” Mya snarled and shoved him as the creature breathed fire at him, making them roll over.

Mabel stopped running, getting ahead of his twin to face the gremloblin, aiming at its feet because she didn't want to look at its eyes. Her dæmon growled at it, his gaze equally down when the creature’s eyes came to meet his. Mabel hit it repeatedly to give her brother time.

“Come on, Dipper!”

Cursing and crawling on the grass, Dipper reached for something shiny enough to see a reflection. He was sure Mabel had packed a-

“Dehpper,” his name sounded muffled with the dæmon holding a piece of crystal in her snout.

Dipper grabbed the mirror and stepped in front of Mabel, holding it high for the gremloblin to see it clearly. He could feel the light coming out of its eyes, and Dipper looked away just in time.

The grunts were cut short, replaced by a small whimper, and the creature flew away.

Mabel and Dipper rested their backs on the fallen trunk, letting out a breath of relief at the same time. Their dæmons watched them, their heads tilted before they strode to their respective human.

“Well, that was close,” Mabel huffed, scratching Mayne behind his ears as he nuzzled her. “You still have those rocks, right?”

“Yeah,” Dipper answered, watching the little box not far from where they were. “Let’s go home.”

He collected everything inside the bag with the help of Mya in no time, while checking each thing. They were lucky nothing was broken.

They climbed the tree trunk with ease and enjoyed the steady walk to the Shack. Dipper and Mabel’s dæmons chased each other, Mayne jumping on Mya, pinning her.

Mya was a maned wolf with reddish brown fur and black legs. Dipper was proud of her form. She wasn't entirely a wolf but neither a fox, something in between, with some traits of each. The need of loyalty, the agile mind, hardworking, often stubborn and persistent, Ford had said.  _ It really fits you. _

On the other hand, Mayne, nicknamed Waddles when Mabel was a toddler, had gone for cute animals, a pig had been her favorite for a long time or colorful ones, such as butterflies and birds. Sometimes, he had matched Dipper’s. On their first summer in Gravity falls it had settled in an African wild dog, his fur brightly colored and ears way rounder than Mya’s. They weren't the same species, but Mabel had felt contented enough when both dæmons had settled into wild canids. 

They entered by the gift shop entrance. Wendy was reading a magazine with her earphones. Her otter, Ryder, rested on the counter. 

Dipper almost tripped twice in the day thanks to his grunkle’s dæmon lying on the floor. The wolverine shot him an annoyed look and he mouthed an apology.

The twins tried to escape before they realized it was too late. Grunkle Stan saw them and pointed a finger at Dipper, “You! Take the new merchandise and place it on the shelves!”

“Grunkle Stan-”

He hushed him and gestured a tall guy staring at everywhere but them, wringing his hands, a tiny bird was resting on his shoulder. He was wearing a yellow sweater despite the hot weather. “I’m making business.”

Dipper groaned, but didn’t object. 

Even though Stan was technically retired, he had agreed to help Soos with the management of the Shack since Melody was in her third trimester of pregnancy. And the place had returned to be the same old tourist trap that had been when he was twelve. 

Mabel giggled, “Sorry bro.” She unzipped the pocket of the backpack and took out the wooden box. “We’ll take this to Uncle Fordsy.”

“Okay,” Dipper sighed as he watched them go.

The ‘new’ merchandise was in a garbage bag and Dipper wasn’t sure he wanted to know if Stan really had taken it from there. Mya wrinkled her nose when Dipper started to pull out all the junk that for some reason people thought it was worth to buy.

He bit his tongue when he stepped on his grunkle’s lazy dæmon’s tail.

“Watch it, kid!” she snarled. “I need my nap before the crowd gets here.”

“Well, stop getting in the way, Sapphira!” Mya snapped, defending her human.

“Forget it.” Dipper patted her in the head to mitigate her anger. “You should probably go with Stan. More people are coming, you are not getting a good sleep for now,” Dipper said to Sapphira.

She mumbled something he couldn’t catch but she didn’t put much of a fight and sat next to Dipper’s great uncle.

“Geez, someone's grumpy today,” Mya murmured.

Dipper snorted and continued to place the new snow globes of the Shack. Sapphira ordered him to raise the prices, not a smart idea with a customer in the shop, but Dipper didn't really care as he added the zeros. The sooner he was done with this, the better. Then, he took a bunch of t-shirts to hang them over the rack.

“You're gonna fall again if you take that much,” the wolf warned him.

“It's fine.”

He walked to the corner of the shop feeling Mya behind him when he heard the boy who was with Stan.

“-and I know it’s not normal that my dæmon and I can be apart at great distances.”

Dipper stopped in his tracks, hugging the garments against his chest, fighting against the urge to turn his back and ask. Mya tugged at his jeans and eyed him curiously. He shrugged her off, finishing with the t-shirts. He wanted to listen more.

_ What is Stan doing? Who is that? _

“We are just worried this can affect me in the long run. I feel fine, w-we feel fine, but everyone thinks it’s weird. And we found out about this place and all your researches-”

Oh boy. He thought Stan was  _ Ford. _ He came here for help, guidance about his relationship with his dæmon. But Grunkle Stan had no idea what the big deal was and he was going to swindle him. Dipper couldn't let that happen. Along with paranormal creatures, he had been studying dæmons and their nature since he was twelve.

He didn't pay attention at Mya calling him, he just knew he could do something about his problem.

“-maybe there’s a way to fix it? If it’s necessary…” his voice trailed off.

“What are you doing?” Stan asked raising his eyebrows, and Dipper flinched. They were looking at him. He didn’t remember having moved, but there he was, standing right next to them, almost in between. Like a creep.

Color flooded to his cheeks, feeling his entire face burning. “Sorry! I was just-Sorry. I...umm…” Mya nudged him with her nose and Dipper took a deep breath. “I can help you. With your problem.” 

Dipper shot a hesitant glance to his grunkle, and he waved his hand, brushing the issue off.

“I don't care kiddo. It’s not like I have time for this. A tour starts in five minutes.” He put his eyepatch on and slunk out of the room without a care, Sapphira followed him outside, leaving Dipper with a very confused person in the room.

He adjusted his old pine tree cap in an old nervous habit. “Sorry, h-he's not really… He is not the person you were looking for. It's complicated, but I can help.” He held out his hand bashfully. “I'm Dipper.”

The boy shook his hand with wide eyes. “Wirt.” He was definitely of his age, maybe a little older. A few locks of his dark brown hair were out of place but it was not as messy as his own. “And you can? Because-”

“I know I don’t look like much.” He pursed his lips. He probably wanted a specialist, an actual expert. “But I can do it. I know about this. I can.” It seemed more as if he was trying to convince himself. He had never help someone out of Gravity Falls. Back in Piedmont, nobody took him seriously and there wasn’t much he could do to prove them wrong.

Who was he kidding? Wirt would not accept the assistance of a stranger. He was here for Stanford Pines, not a random person who no one had heard about.

“I- Sure.”

Dipper blinked, peering for any glimpse of vacillation, but Wirt held a firm gaze so he found none. A bubble of excitement rushed through him as Mya’s tail wagged. “Seriously?”

Wirt and his dæmon exchanged a look before answering without hesitation, “Yes.”

He had to suppress the squeal back in his throat by biting his lip. “Great!” He sounded high-pitched but Dipper couldn’t care less. “You can come back here tomorrow. If you want. At least you want to start right now because we can.”

“N-no, it's okay. Tomorrow, I mean,” Wirt stammered. “I have to return to the hotel with my family.” Pink dusted his cheeks and he cupped his dæmon on his hands. “Um, the man from before-”

“Yeah, sorry about it. He's my great uncle but he doesn't really think about the things he does when it comes to money. At least he is thinking on strategies for betting, or playing cards. He's not that bad, though.”

“Oh, right.” Wirt scratched the back of his head and offered him a coy smile. “See you tomorrow then?” 

“See you tomorrow.”

Dipper stood still, watching him go until the door was finally closed. 

Dipper raised a fist in the air. “Woo! Oh my god,” Dipper laughed, kneeled and hugged his dæmon quickly. “C’mon Mya, we have to read the journal again. Wait, I need more books! And sticky notes, and pens, tons of pens. Maybe we can check in Ford’s study, or on the internet - if it's not risky. Oh man, I think I need a moment.” He breathed in and breathed out, twice. “Okay...uff… We are really doing this, Mya.”

He ran to the ‘Only Employees’ room letting a few laughs out.

He would have to put an all-nighter if he wanted to make this right. He was given a great opportunity. He couldn't screw this up, he wasn't allowed to make mistakes. Dæmons and their bonds were a fragile thing, he knew it from experience.

“Oh Dipper,” Mya sighed. If she could give herself a facepalm she would have done it. “What have you got us into?”


	2. Gaining Trust

Avoiding his Great uncle was not as easy as he’d thought it would be.

Any other day he would not have minded. Dipper was always eager to chat with Ford. He had the greatest stories to tell, knowledge and facts to share with him. He could talk with him about stuff that others thought it was boring. Dipper admired him for his discoveries, for adventuring in places no one else had dared to explore.

Spending time with his great-uncle was enriching and Dipper relished every single moment they could do things together in the nephew-uncle bonding way.  

It just that… For the first time in his life, Dipper didn't want his Great uncle’s help.

He got nothing against him but he feared it would make everything too easy. He would have the answer in a blink of an eye - Mya told him it was probably for the best - and that wasn’t acceptable. It was a challenge Dipper wanted to do it by himself. He could solve mysteries without Ford’s help, directly or indirectly.

Sneaking in Ford’s study wasn't that hard, he only needed to wait until he went out or to work in the basement he had turned into his workshop several years ago. Besides that wasn’t the real problem, his uncle wouldn’t forbid him to grab a book and Dipper could make a believable lie at the drop of a hat if he insisted on knowing why he wanted it.

No, the big deal was that Ford truly wanted him to work with him this time and it sucked that Dipper had to deny his offer, leaving his uncle more than shocked.

What Mabel and Dipper had found in the gremloblin’s cave, apparently, were stones with some regenerative properties. He wanted to use it as a supply for the medical field or for producing some kind of energy or electricity. It wasn't the elixir of life, but it would be really useful if Ford managed to see how it worked.

Dipper felt so bad because he was always willing to be his assistant, and Ford was working on such big thing he couldn't help but feel intrigued. The worst part was that he feared he was betraying his grunkle’s trust by not telling him anything.

After dinner, once they were sure Grunkle Ford was too busy to pay attention to his surroundings and he and Mya were finally in the private study, Dipper approached to the bookshelf and ran his fingers over the spine of some encyclopedias, reading the title of each to search for the useful ones.

“Using his books doesn’t count as indirect help?” Mya bugged him.

He pulled out one book about the characteristics of dæmons, one of the first one he had read about settling when he was twelve. That period of his life when he had been desperate to accelerate the natural process of staying in a representative form.

“No, he didn’t write those.”

Mya hated this, and she used every minute of the day since yesterday to make it clear.

Dipper understood why she was acting like that. Dæmons went rigid with all the talks about their settling, separation, being severed. Probably because in a way, they were the most affected, people saw them and pointed at  _ them _ because they were damaged.

He got it, but he was already feeling guilty.

“How many times do I have to tell you this is wrong?”

“How many times do I have to tell you I got this?”

“Dipper,” Mya sighed, “you can’t use a situation like this to prove yourself.”

He brought his hand to rub his face. She made him sound like a jerk, and with all the early excitement washed off, he felt like one. He wasn't tricking Wirt, he had offered his help, Wirt accepted. Though, it was hard to remind that with Mya shoving the opposite on his face.

Before answering, he grabbed several books about dæmons and reluctantly, Dust. It was small, and dusty, but it was the only one Grunkle Ford had.

“Mya…”

“If something goes wrong-”

“I know. I’m not playing with this. Why would I?” Dipper retorted, crossing his arms over his chest, glaring at the leather cover lying on the table. “Believe me, I am completely aware of the size of the deal. I'm not an idiot.”

He did not wait for a reply. He was done with this. Case closed.

He slammed the last book close of the pile, held them in his arms and darted out of the room.

The gift shop was barely illuminated with the natural light coming from the windows. Since Wendy had gone home a long time ago and the rest of his family was either resting or working, the place looked eerie. 

He could hear the tap-tap of Mya’s paws, probably cursing Dipper for being so hard headed, but he didn't look back to check on her.

He walked all the way to the attic without saying a word, getting a box of pens out, putting the books on his desk beside the coffee maker, filling the first cup and taking a sip, he wasn't a fan of it but he was preparing for a long night of self-deprived sleep.

Mya curled up on his bed as Dipper opened a book. He didn’t quite remember Wirt’s exact problem. He could be separated from his dæmon, and Dipper couldn’t do much with only that piece of information, but he wanted to have something to start with when Wirt came. He already knew pretty much about all of that, but it wouldn’t hurt to refresh his mind.

The first thing he read was the meaning of Wirt’s dæmon’s form. You could never be too careful, he had learned that after all the Gideon fiasco. The guy had a butterfly as dæmon, at first sight totally harmless, and no one saw and believed what was hidden behind that mask of innocence until Grunkle Stan had proved them wrong.

His dæmon kept quiet most of the time, checking on Dipper, asking now and then if he was done.  And close to 5:00 a.m., his eyes slipped shut.

“Dipper!”

He jerked awake abruptly, papers flying off the desk, his head feeling as if they had thrown him cold water. “W-What?” Dipper said, groggy, moving his head in the direction of the voice. He just wanted to rest for a minute, why couldn't he have at least that?

“Breakfast is ready.”

_ What? Breakfast? _

His vision cleared. Mabel was leaning next to him, a hand on his shoulder, shaking him. Mayne sat next to Mya, the wolf staring right at him with a slightly annoyed expression mixed with some sort of smugness.  

It finally dawned on him that it was no longer dark and that he’d, indeed, fallen asleep for more than just a minute. Coffee hadn’t worked out for him apparently. Dipper rubbed his eyes, reading in almost darkness had not been a good idea either.

“You stayed up all night?” Mabel asked.

“Not  _ all  _ night.”

Mabel snorted and craned her neck to peek at his notes. The bags on his eyes probably said it all. Luckily, he hadn’t chewed on his shirt, otherwise, Mabel would have worried and pestered him to bring his ass back to bed and take a nap. “What are you doing?”

Dipper jumped out of the chair, trying to block out her view and glared at Mya so she could come because  _ goddammit, come and help me, you stupid traitor. _ “N-Nothing, nothing.”

“Oh, come on!” Mabel pushed him repeatedly and when Dipper didn’t recoil she whined loudly, “Diiipper, let me see.”

Mayne joined to their fight, grabbing his jeans to force him to back away. Dipper didn’t know if to scream for his dæmon or for his sister, Dipper chose the latter since Mya was, apparently, giving him the cold shoulder. “Mabel! Mayne! Guys, stop.”

“Never!” Both shouted, Mabel slipped her hand below Dipper’s armpit and tickled it, managing to knock him to the floor while Mayne climbed on top of him. His brain had not wake up entirely and the hit only made it worse for him.

He heard Mabel gasped as she examined Dipper’s work, “You… Dipper, what are you-?” He raised his head to meet her trying-not-to-be-horrified expression and Dipper couldn't recall where he’d left off before he’d gone out of cold. Whatever it was, it couldn’t be nice and innocent like the dictionary of forms.

Dipper stood up quickly, dragged her away. She and Mayne seemed confused and probably a little scared. Dipper checked the part of the book that was opened. The title chapter read:  _ Separation _ , which only had vague information, but he still cursed inside his mind.

“I'm helping someone,” he responded before a question could be uttered, but Mabel would not let him drop the subject and he couldn’t lie to her. And that was how Mya got exactly what she wanted. “H-He… Okay, he was here for Ford but he confused him with Stan, and you know how Grunkle Stan is, the guy would have been stuck with his problem, plus he would’ve been scammed. That’s why I stepped in. I thought I could help him.”

Mabel bit her lip like she wasn’t sure of what to say next. “Is that a good idea?”

Dipper grunted, flopping on the mattress. If he pouted he would have looked as a spoiled child and he did and he honestly didn’t care. “Please, not you too. Mya already told me how dumb I am for doing this.”

“You can’t blame her. I mean, you two-” She hesitated before sitting on the corner of his bed and grabbing his hand. “Are you helping someone in an issue you haven't even solve yourself?”

Mya tensed and got closer to Dipper involuntarily. “We  _ are _ fine.” And their problem was different, it was more psychological than anything. “You can’t compare us with that.” Mabel raised her eyebrows and Dipper rubbed his arm. “Look, I-I know what I am doing,” he stated looking at both, Mabel and Mya.

“And what did the person said? Did he agree?” Mabel pushed, crossing her legs beneath her. “If he was looking for Grunkle Ford…” Dipper stayed quiet and Mabel had to interpret his actions from everything she’d learned about him since they were babies. “You didn't tell him he was here.” He kept his eyes firmly on the wall and that was answer enough. “You  _ lied _ ?!”

“No! And you make it sound as if-” He let out a long frustrated sigh. Why did she have to say it like that? “I just... did not mention Ford.  And he didn't ask for him anyway, besides Ford’s really busy with the crystals we found.”

“Bad things happen when we lie to each other, Dipper.”

Dipper then grabbed her by the shoulders. “Look, Mabel. How many people outside town have believed what we can do? What we've done?  It's not like he's going to change anything but it could be a start.  And… I guess… If things get too complicated I will ask Ford. I promise.”

Dipper could see her relax and he chose to believe she did because she trusted him, recognized the security on his eyes and not because of his last statement.

“Oh right, broski, if you say so…I will leave you and your nerd things, though not completely. I want to be involved!” Her smile returned as big as always and Dipper was relieved she was on his side. “I wanna meet him too! How does he look like?”

“Why do you want to know?”

“I don't know… Is he cute?” Mabel snickered, pushing him lightly when blood rushed to his cheeks.

“Oh my god, Mabel!”

Mabel giggled. “He is!”

He wasn't ugly, that was it, but it's not like he’d been ogling him, or anything. His mind had been too distracted that he hadn't paid attention to his appearance. Not that Dipper was going to stare at him later.

That didn't stop him from getting flustered.

“I-I don't know?” She was still laughing at his reaction, and Dipper nudged her. “Mabel! I didn't look at him like that. Shut up.”

She wiped fake tears and wrapped one arm around him. “I'm sorry, bro.” She poked his cheek and got up the bed. “Come on, before Grunkle Stan eats all!”

Mayne and Mabel ran off before he could follow. Mya jumped out of the bed and landed on the floor, looking at him with bowed head.

“Are you still mad at me?” Dipper asked. 

Slowly, she came closer and rubbed her face at his hip. Dipper was about to take that as an apology or an ‘okay you’re right’. Instead, what she said was, “No. I wasn’t mad. It was what Mabel said about fixing a problem we haven’t-”

“I was not lying about what I said to her,” Dipper cut her off. “Our bond is fine.”

“...I know.”

Dipper would have believed her if she hadn’t looked so unsure.

* * *

The first thing Wirt heard in the morning was his brother yelling his name and while he knew he was just trying to wake him up, that didn't stop him from jerk away and move his head frantically in the search for him. When Greg giggled at his sleepy face, Wirt threw him his pillow.

“Are you awake now?”

Wirt narrowed his eyes, his words, spiteful, when they came out of his mouth, “What do you think?”

Ronald was a frog again, he’d been more consistent with his form lately and Wirt wondered if he would settle soon. Honestly, it would be quite shocking, and he didn’t think Greg would enjoy seeing his dæmon not changing whenever they felt like. Seven was a young age to settle after all. Wirt was probably over thinking as usual.

“Sorry, but you can’t oversleep! We are going to be late!” Wirt rolled over to block the sound and closed his eyes, making Greg huff. “C’mon lazybones!”

Wirt mumbled incoherent words and Greg stayed quiet. Suspecting he was onto something - Greg never gave up so easily - Wirt opened one eye to peer at whatever he was planning. In a matter of seconds, he felt Greg landing on his stomach screaming ‘cannonball!’ at the top of his lungs, puffing out all of Wirt’s air.

“Ok, ok. I'm awake. Get off me.”

It took a time to convince their parents to let him go through all the process alone. He couldn't blame them, but he had good reasons to do so. That and the fact that he was getting help from someone his age. He couldn't believe it either, but the look of the guy, Dipper, had been convincing enough.

He wasn’t sure if he trusted him entirely. He was still confused about what had happened yesterday. Did that man had been Stanford? Was he even a real person or only a trap to trick people?

Maybe he had precipitated with the decision. He couldn’t afford being fooled. But he hadn’t mentioned a price, so the only logical solution for Wirt was that he was saying the truth.

With a ‘Call us when you're done’ and a ‘Take care of your brother’ Wirt and Greg headed to the Mystery Shack. Ronald had transformed into a canary to fly side by side with Zoë and above the brothers’ head.

Not knowing where to knock, if the main house door or the shop’s one, he opted to enter by the latter, since he was, in a way, a client.

This time, there was a couple of people, and Wirt quickly found Dipper at the counter, behind the cash register, eyebrows furrowed deep in concentration while reading.

Wirt was reluctant to disturb him, but they established an hour. He wasn’t interrupting anything when Dipper was expecting him.

Zoë landed at the top of his head to poke his forehead, encouraging him to say something.

But Greg took the words out of his mouth.

“Hi! Are you Dipper? You look like a Dipper to me.”

He raised his eyes and beamed at the little kid, setting aside his book. “Hi to you too and I’m glad I look like a Dipper because that’s who I am.” His smile didn’t break when he spotted Wirt. “Right on time.”

He opened his mouth to reply, but again, his brother was faster. “Yeah, all thanks to me! We would've arrived at noon if I had let him sleep through!”

Wirt finally came closer to scowl at him, seeming more like a pout. “Greg, shhh. He doesn't need to know about details.”

“How do you know he doesn't want to know?”

Wirt sighed, there was no point in replying. “This is my brother,” he said to Dipper.

“Nice to meet you, Greg and thanks for helping your brother to be punctual.”

Greg lifted his arm to salute. “That's my job, sir.” He jumped, to try and climb the counter. Ronald turned into a tiger and picked Greg up. “So are you really a paranormal investigator? Have you seen ghosts? Are they cool?”

The entrance bell rang, the redhead he had seen the other day went through the door with the otter on her shoulder. She nudged Dipper as she took her place, placing her legs on the counter and raised her arms over her head. “Hey, nerd.”

“Hey jerk,” Dipper replied without seeming annoyed. “I gotta go.” He put the book inside his vest and beckoned them towards to the door with the Employee sign. “Oh, and yes, I have seen tons of ghost. Though some better than others.”

Wirt heard two people gasping in fascination. One being Greg, and Wirt felt bad that Dipper was going to be bombed with a million questions from now on and the other one, was a girl grinning excitedly with her dæmon, as big as Dipper’s, staring curiously at them. She was wearing a starry sweater and by her facial features, he could obviously tell she was related to Dipper.  

“He is cute!”

Dipper groaned hiding in his hands and Wirt thought for a moment his cheeks had turned crimson. “Sorry, that's my sister Mabel, she tends to appear out of nowhere. Mabel, these are Wirt and Greg.”

“Oh.” Wirt offered his hand to her. “H-Hi.”

That only made her smile wider if possible and instead of shaking his hand, he and Greg were suddenly trapped in a big hug, “Oh my gosh,” she squealed. “Hi, adorable people!”

“A-adorable?”

“I like your sweater,” Greg said, while being crushed between the two teenagers. “And wow you and Dipper pretty similar!”

“Twin power!” Mabel released her grip on them and Wirt made an effort to not look breathlessly. “And thank you! I knitted it myself.”

“Yeah, we are twins,” Dipper interjected, pulling Mabel back before she could attempt to suffocate them for the second time. “Sorry. Again.”

She hit him with her elbow, but Wirt was relieved she didn’t look as hyperactive as before. “I was just being friendly.”

“Having no boundaries of personal space is friendly?”

“It’s okay,” Wirt assured, rubbing his arm. Zoë had flown when he’d been tackled but she returned, flapping in the air.

“You knit?” Greg asked Mabel and her eyes brightened again.

“Yeah! It’s the best thing in the world!”

Dipper turned to Wirt and scratched his head. “Uhm, you wanna start now? We can go to my room or the living room if you want.”

“Sure, I mean, any place is good for me, and I hope it doesn’t bother you I brought Greg. He insisted-”

Dipper cut him off with a wave. “Nah, I don’t mind. Besides, Mabel loves kids, as you can see.”

Wirt had to agree. She started a chat with his brother about bunnies and deer for some reason. He would at least have some distraction.

He guided them across their home until the stairs, Mabel following from behind.

He wished Zoë would come down to his hands so he could pet her. It had always calm him, having something to do while nervous, but the bird tended to flutter when she felt that way too. She would offer comfort to Wirt eventually when she realized her human needed it.

He also bit his tongue to keep the poetry stuck on his head, another habit he wasn’t sure he could get rid of it. He didn’t need the embarrassment mixed with mortification.

So far, the twins had done nothing to prove they were untrustworthy. He was fine, he might even find a solution and everything would be absolutely fine.

Dipper’s room was big, his bed was cornered in the wall as if it was not used often. Wirt could count three boards. A map that must've been the town’s, with pictures of creatures Wirt had only seen in fiction books. A crystal board with nothing written yet and a notice board with papers and red strings. He had two desks but papers scattered everywhere, a brown bean bag chair and a blue carpet. No furniture or decoration correlated with each other, but it gave a personal touch.

Mabel plunged on the bed, her dæmon taking her stomach as a pillow. “Let the nerd talk begin!”

Dipper ignored the comment with a roll of eyes. “You can sit wherever you want,” he said, pivoting on the office chair. “Okay, so let’s start with...umm...maybe...when did you find out you could…you know?”

Before Wirt took place in the corner of the bed he remembered there was something he didn't want Greg to hear. “Wait.” He gestured at him as discreetly as possible. Greg wouldn’t want to leave if he thought Wirt was hiding something. “Can he-”

Thankfully, the twins understood rapidly.

“Let me you show my collection of sweaters!” Mabel exclaimed, taking Greg’s hand. “I have tons of them! I could teach you how to do it.”

“Really? Cool! But-” his vision darted to the older brother, hesitant and Wirt smiled fondly and a little sad. It was his fault Greg thought it was his job to protect him. He was the older brother, the responsible one, not the other way around.

“It’s okay. Go.”

Returning the smile, Greg positioned his dæmon on his head, who had gone back into his usual frog form. “C’mon Ronald!”

“Just don't go out of the house, please!” Wirt shrieked when he was out of the picture too soon.

Mabel was quick to go after him, not before winking at him. “Don't worry. Mayne and I will keep our two eyes on him. That makes it four eyes.”

Wirt’s shoulders dropped. “Thanks.”

She sent him a thumbs up. He was probably going crazy if he trusted people he barely knew.

Dipper was fiddling with his fingers, his dæmon lying next to his feet. “Right, so let’s see.” He flipped the pages of an enormous encyclopedia. “The thing is that I can’t use the great gift of technology for this, so we’ll have to stick with the old ways. I think we should sneak to the library tomorrow. Grunkle Ford has some but they don't say much about separation.”

“Grunkle?”

“Great uncle.”

There was a question on the tip of his tongue, fighting to be spit. Wirt realized another reason of why he was being a bundle of nerves.  “Umm...can I ask you something?”

“Yeah?”

Wirt’s eyes wafted over the room for a bit. “You said your uncle wasn't who I was looking for. Is he Stanford Pines? Or the researcher profile was just a façade?”

For a reason, Dipper looked as if he’d been smacked in the face. “I… He is my other great uncle. Grunkle Stan founded the Shack and ran it before he named Soos, a friend of mine, the manager. Stanford does a lot of...stuff. People confuse them a lot, probably because Stan had to take his name… It's...a mess to explain. Really.”

“Oh.” His nerves ceased, the sincerity slowly calming him. “Is he here?”

Dipper stiffened, his face going blank. “No. Yes. No,” he sputtered, peering at his dæmon as if they were communicating mentally. She nodded at him and Dipper chewed one of his nails before continuing. “He’s busy, found a cave with magical crystals. But he usually likes to rest in summer. He and Grunkle Stan travel a lot.”

“Oh,” he repeated, there wasn’t much to say, discovering the truth eased his nerves and he was glad he hadn’t come for someone who did not exist. “That's fine. How do we begin?”

There wasn’t an immediate answer. Wirt shifted at Dipper’s long stare, which reflected pure shock and Wirt swore he imagined the relieved smile forming on his lips when he turned away.

“Marking the dots,” he simply responded. “Bonds are difficult to break, and I guess your main worry is-”

“The consequences,” Wirt finished, the lump on his throat returning. “Zoë and I don't feel any difference. We just found out about it when Greg was running off. We couldn't find him and we had to split up.”

“You are telling me you didn't feel...I don't know...that something wasn't right?”

“No, I-I…” There had been  _ something _ , a bit of emptiness. He was inclined to think it was nostalgia. A quail wasn't near the same as a bluebird, but it still stung. “We were hurt. We’d had a fight before I-” He dithered.

Dipper raised his eyebrow. “So you  _ do _ know the reason.”

“I guess? I wasn't completely sure.” He had never talked to anyone besides Zoë, Greg, and Ronald. He loathed to do it, but if he expected honesty, he had to give as well. It was a both ways process. “Does near death experiences count as a cause?”

Of all the reactions, Wirt didn't expect Dipper’s eyes widened so fast and standing up. “Wait, of course, it does!” Pacing through the room, he grabbed a marker. “Can you tell me about it?”

Wirt's breath caught in his throat. He relived the moment enough on his dreams, actually recalling it sent shivers down his spine and he tripped with words without intended to. “Well, we w-were… It was…”

A hand clutched his shoulder and he had to meet a pair of dark brown eyes. “I’m sorry, I'm bad at this,” Dipper admitted, sitting down again. “No pressure, man. I’ve been there done that. I get it. It’s hard, trust me. I know. But we really can’t do much if I do not know.”

Zoë came to his aid, landing on his other shoulder. His pulse had quickened but the hand did not let go and Zoë murmured, “It’s okay, Wirt.”

He bit his lip and stared down the mattress. “She settled late, and I was angry because of it. Umm...there was a hill and a lake. She was not there when Greg and I fell.”

“Y-you get away of her willingly?”

“I was mad at myself more than anything. I didn’t think through.” He paused, putting his thoughts in order. He wasn’t going into further details, but he guessed that what he was going to say next was clearly important. “There’s something else.”

Dipper waited patiently until he was ready to continue, his dæmon had climbed to the bed but didn’t try to reassure Zoë like Dipper had done with him. “We went to a place. While drowning. I guessed it was a sort of limbo, where people go when they die?”

“Like a spirit world? Underworld?”

“I think so.”

“Okay.” Dipper nodded thoughtfully and went to write the information on the board. “Dæmons are the physical manifestation of our soul, that’s why we unconsciously stay close.” He flopped down the book from the desk to bed and sat down at his side. “The discomfort we feel when we get separated it’s because of that. It’s a warning sign. But you ignored it, not everyone can do that easily.”

“I can’t be the only one who has cut that connection accidentally, right?”

“I don’t think so. A long time ago they tried to experiment with kids... It didn’t end well. The thing is that it is possible but I haven’t known of a case where someone has sur-” Dipper stopped abruptly.

That’s what he wanted to hear the most. Not knowing if he was walking in a thin line, if he was in the terminal state already, drove him crazy. “I know that people have died because they couldn’t bear it.”

Dipper sighed. “Yes. But you said you’re fine. Wirt, I’ve read how they decay in every possible way, but you are okay. I don’t know why or how, but you are.”

“So that’s a good sign?”

“Of course, it is. Trust me, man, if it didn’t affect you before, I don't see why it would now.”

Wirt found himself smiling a little at the complete stranger that had somehow made him see the bright side of his situation. And aligning the balance of pros and cons Dipper had created, there was still something to hope for.

 


	3. Sneaking Out

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There were several reasons why this wasn't updated sooner and all can be summarized in anxiety, self-doubt, school, time, and procrastination.  
> Also, I edited the previous chapters, just grammar things. The only thing that I changed was just a paragraph saying that the reason why the grunkles were helping in the Shack was because Melody is in her last trimester of pregnancy and Soos is taking care of her c:

They hadn’t made so much progress and honestly, Dipper didn’t know why he had expected more. It was risky to have anything related to separation and the Pines family was already in the federal agent’s naughty list. Although Dipper was sure they knew nothing about his great-uncle’s secret study, it was better to be safe than sorry.

There was an item that would definitely help them, but they had to be discreet about it since the twins had promised to Ford they weren’t going to talk or show it to anyone. It was a dangerous move, but all they needed was a peek. Besides, they weren’t going to leave the library and Dipper was going to be extra sure to leave the box as sealed as they’d left it the first time.

But before they could do that, the grunkles had taken them for breakfast to Greasy's Diner the next morning. Even with the years, the place had remained the same, the round hanging lights above each booth, the mixed odor of wood, coffee and sweet, and the odd but always cheerful waitress, Lazy Susan.

“This is me when I tried to enroll on the cheerleader’s team,” Mabel said while showing Grunkle Ford her own scrapbook of the school year. It had become a tradition to show each other photographs of the time they hadn’t seen each other. Dipper wasn’t a fan of photos - with Mabel as his sister, he had gotten used to it - but he couldn’t deny he liked to retell some of their normal adventures, in a normal city, in their normal life. But just because Mabel made them see more interesting than how they actually were.

“And how that went?” Ford asked, curious. Sophia, the snowy owl he had as a dæmon, perched on his shoulder.

“It was really fun, though I twisted my ankle twice and broke my leg once. Not at the same time, but that wasn’t fun.”

“Dad went nuts,” Dipper joined in, scratching Mya behind her ears. Both, her and Mayne were below the table, cuddling with each other. Grunkle Stan’s dæmon rested her head on the old man’s lap. Although Dipper didn’t say it aloud, he found the image funny, his normally blunt and somehow intimidating grunkle with an ostensibly cuddly and huggable dæmon. “They should be used to it already. We’ve been breaking our bones since we discovered tree climbing.”

“Yep but I don’t know if I’m going to stay next year. I wanna try different things.” Mabel shrugged and then pointed at the photo below. “We also worked at the school newspaper.”

“They kicked us out.”

“Pff, obstruction of truth!” Mabel complained. “They didn’t let us publish good stories!”

“Worst of all. They thought we were lying.”

“And crazy.”

“Yeah, can’t forget about that one.”

No matter what, Dipper was never going to stop being wary about that history teacher or that exchange student. He admitted that the locker story had gone too far, but hey, how they were going to know someone would keep a bunch of glow sticks in their locker the entire year?

The editor had also pointed out that invented paranormal events weren’t something people wanted to read, but at least, according to one of their teacher, it was good they had a great imagination.

“I bet you would do great in every other newspaper if you really wanted to apply,” Ford tried to cheer them up.

“Thanks, Grunkle Ford,” Dipper said, “but I think we are good.”

“We still have the articles. We could show you when we get home.” Mabel flipped the page and her eyes widened with excitement. She pulled Ford’s sleeve even if he was already leaning. “That’s Dipper winning the science fair!”

“Aw, he looks so flustered with all the attention,” Grunkle Stan cooed as he saw the photo, pushing him on the shoulder.

Dipper was indeed blushing slightly, smiling awkwardly at the camera, but holding proudly the trophy and ribbon. The principal was at his side, shaking his hand.

“There were like a hundred of people there!” Dipper defended. “Besides, I’m not photogenic.”

“I think it was because the cute boy of your chemistry class was there,” Mabel giggled and Dipper almost choked on his drink. Not necessarily because she just stated he liked a boy instead of a girl, but because of the shock of the revelation instead - he was never the one to admit his crushes _._

He had figured out himself last year, a few months after their third summer on Gravity Falls, found that it was okay to like both, girls and boys and came out to his parents and her sister later on. Who he liked or not had become no one else’s business but his. Among all his insecurities, his sexuality had stood up steady and confident. Despite that, the hesitation liked to show up from time to time. The irrational fear still existed inside him, deep, tiny and hidden. But there.

He didn’t care about other’s opinion. But these people was his family. And - he pretty much cared about theirs.

It was stupid, though, these were his _grunkles_. They surely wouldn’t care. Right?

And yet, he recoiled at Stan’s voice.

“So you're dating someone kiddo?”

He wriggled his hands and peered down at Mya. Mabel had covered her mouth, looking extremely guilty, possibly interpreting his reaction right away.

“No. It was fleeting.” He paused at the choice of words and added, “The crush. Not the other… Are you okay with that?”

“Whatever floats your goat, kid. We’re not gonna stop you at least you get into some jerk,” Grunkle Stan replied nonchalantly and Grunkle Ford nodded at him with a small smile. Dipper let his heartbeat slow down.

“So what was your project about, Dipper?” Ford spoke up, truly interested in the photo and Dipper was grateful for the change of subject.

“Geothermal energy. Use of geysers, volcanoes, and all that,” Dipper explained, but he couldn’t go further because Lazy Susan brought their plates and soon, they were all munching a big plate of pancakes.

Peace was then disturbed thanks to a revolt gathering outside the diner. At first, they didn't pay much attention - things happened every day - continuing their talk while Grunkle Stan and Mabel started a thumb fight.

Dipper frowned as Mya stood up and rested his head on Dipper’s lap, nuzzling him with her muzzle. She was shaking slightly.

“Hey, are you okay?” Dipper turned to her, running his fingers through her fur, trying to ease the tension on her body.

“No,” she whimpered. “There's… Something’s wrong. We- we should get out of here.”

She wasn't the only one acting troubled. Mayne had climbed up to sit fully on the chair next to Mabel, and even their grunkle’s dæmons were visibly agitated.

Food and conversations aside, Mabel asked, “Lazy Susan! What's going on?” when the waitress entered again, with a startled expression on her face. Her dæmon, a Siamese cat, was clinging on her arms.

“Sprott’s over there. Y’know, the farmer?” She beckoned them towards the door. The crowd they’d seen arrive was gone, and if a person was truly lying somewhere out there. “I don't know what's up, but it’s disturbing.” She shuddered to reaffirm her point and went to attend a table behind them.

The first standing up was Grunkle Ford, followed by the now irritated Grunkle Stan. They shared a look when the twins slid off the booth seat as well. Grunkle Ford shrugged and Grunkle Stan shook his head, but they didn’t tell them to stay put.

Maybe in another universe, the Pines family would be able to brush an issue off, mind their own business and not care about every single problem of this crazy town. But in this universe, when something was wrong, it wasn’t abnormal to find a Pines involved. Problems followed them and sometimes they chased the problems.

They strode to the door, and an uncomfortable pressure on Dipper’s chest started to grow. He made sure Mya wasn't leaving his side. She didn’t stop repeating ‘don’t go, come on Dipper, stop’ under her breath. He couldn’t hear Mayne, but guessing by Mabel’s worried gaze, her dæmon was no better.

Outside was a man Dipper remembered as the guy who sometimes worked at the fair and ran the Petting Zoo. Mainly because they’d freed a mutant cow once from there. He had bags under his eyes and was sitting on the grass staring blankly. His skin looked almost gray and Dipper thought he might be ill, that would explain why everyone seemed to repel him.

Mya opted to hide behind her human’s legs, making something inside him squirm, a warning sign, flickering in his chest.

Grunkle Ford was the one who kneeled in front of him and started soon to pester him with questions. He wasn’t neither pushy or hesitant, like an appointment with a doctor. His voice was low and soft, and Sprott only shook his head over and over. Dipper couldn’t tell if he was answering.

“So...what's going on?" Dipper asked first.

Grunkle Ford pushed his glasses up his nose. "He doesn’t remember the place where he came from." With a sigh, he got to his feet, brushing off the dirt on his pants. “I’m not sure he can’t talk straight right now, and he doesn't look physically hurt but…”

Dipper scrunched his eyebrows in confusion for a moment, until Mya rubbed her face against him again and he put the pieces together, now fully aware of what was missing.

Mabel gasped. “Oh god, no.”

His dæmon was nowhere to be seen.

The image itself made him nauseous at first, then guilty because he was supposed to be helping, not wanting to run away. A human without a dæmon was unnatural, atrocious, they always taught you you would be incomplete without it but as a mere concept, not as something that could actually happen.

“There’s nothing you could tell me? Names? Descriptions?” Grunkle Ford inquired again without sounding harsh.

“Nothing. I just think- I need…” He didn’t finish the sentence, deciding to stare at the floor for the second time.

Dipper gulped, his hand unconsciously caressing Mya’s scruff. Mabel was less subtle, her eyes shining for being on the verge of tears. She bit her bottom lip as if she wanted to reach out to him and give to the man the comfort he’d lost.

“We need to take him somewhere,” Stan addressed his brother. If they were affected at all by the situation, they didn’t let it show.  He lowered to his knees so he could make Sprott focus. “Hey, do you think you can stand up?”

He tilted his head and blinked three times. Grunkle Stan took that as a yes, lifting him up and putting one of his arms around his shoulders. Sapphira made sure to stay out of their way but still remained close enough to her human.

“And where are we going to find a place to help him?” Ford questioned. Sophia flew above their heads in circles, waiting for them to move.

“The hospital, at least. Let’s go.”

Mabel was already starting to walk after them when Dipper stopped her by clutching her arm.

“We- We are meeting with some friends right now,” he addressed to his grunkles, hoping he didn't look like he was trying to escape. He wasn't. He wasn't even lying, but he was pretty shaken, so he feared his attitude could be misunderstood.

“‘Kay, kiddo. See ya’ later,” Grunkle Stan replied, grunting when Sprott let all of his weight on him.

“Take care!” Mabel waved goodbye with a small smile, locking his arm with hers. “Let us know the updates.”

Ford took hold of the severed man then since he was in a better shape and his back didn’t cringe every time he stood up after being in a position for too long. “Of course.”

And so, they parted ways.

The silence loomed the whole track, a contrast to their usual cheerfulness, both twins  trying to swallow the idea of seeing someone severed. It made Dipper think about Wirt, who was also severed, and yet it was clear there wasn’t any similarity with Sprott, a lifeless body who could merely speak.

There had to be some difference, some clue he was missing, something that made Wirt came out okay. If he discovered how Sprott had been separated from his dæmon, he might find the solution. Hopefully.

“Hey, Dipper,” Mabel said softly, interrupting his thoughts. “Sorry for what happened before.”

“What do you mean?”

Mabel kicked the grass, wistful. “I didn’t want to out you. I’m used to you being casual about it but it’s your thing to tell.”

“Oh.” Dipper’s mild pace stopped. He grabbed her shoulder, giving her a gentle squeeze. “It’s fine. I was shocked when you said it but- it’s not like I was really trying to hide it? Besides, you didn’t mean to and they are family. I would’ve told them anyway if the occasion showed up, but I guess it was better your way. Less awkward.”

“I’m still sorry. I should watch my mouth.”

“Yeah well, I can’t argue with that.”

Dipper suppressed a squeal when she prodded him on the ribs. “Now, don’t be a jerk Dippin’ Dots.” But she was grinning too.

He chuckled, pushing her lightly.

“So why do you think Wirt doesn't feel as traumatized as that guy? I can feel the gears of your brain working already.”

Dipper shoved his hands into his jeans’ pockets. “I don't have an idea. It could be anything really. But I’m not sure if that guy is going to last enough to give us information.”

She opened her mouth to reply but Dipper stumbled with another person. He would’ve landed on his butt if Mya hadn't pushed him forward.

"Uff, Sorry-” And he almost put his arms on the shoulders of the person he'd collided with to balance himself but caught a glimpse of a red blur and recognized the face in front of him. “Wirt! Hey."

Wirt blinked, taken back. "Hi. I’m sorry. Didn't...I didn't see you there.” He paused, registering their expressions. Dipper couldn’t have known how bad did they look but certainly it wasn’t one of their best days. “Is- is everything okay?"

How could they be so different? Sprott’s presence filled him with sickness, he’d wanted to hide, to forget what he’d seen and never recalled it to his mind again. And Wirt...well, he was anything but that.

"Kinda..." He scratched his head. He wasn’t sure if it was a good idea to worry him about something like that yet. “It’s just that- ”

“Hello there,” Mabel interrupted, shooting him a look saying, _Not yet_. And if Mabel wasn’t telling the truth about it then better keep the news low for now. “We’re fine, you just surprised us! Didn’t know you’ll be here. We expected to see you until we were in the Shack.”

“Oh, sorry. If I knew you’ve gone out we would've waited a little longer.”

“Nonsense! It doesn't matter!” Mabel took him by the wrist, obliged them to keep moving. “At the library we go!”

“Good to see you again,” Greg giggled as he was swayed. His dæmon was a monkey, his arms around Greg’s shoulders and sniffing the brown messy hair. “But why do we have to go to the library?” He scrunched his nose in disgust. “Library is like school. And it's summer!”

“Because there’s something really important there,” Dipper replied. “And libraries are not that bad if you just know how to use them.”

“That's because you're a nerdy dork, Dippingsauce”

“They aren't actually that bad,” Wirt agreed with Dipper. “There's a lot of useful stuff and great things to read if you search in the right sections.”

Greg poked his brother’s arm and smirked. “I think you're a nerdy dork too.”

“W-what? I'm not-”

“Look what you've done Mabel. You've corrupted his brother and brought him to the dark side,” Dipper quipped.

“Hey no, my side is full of rainbows and colors.” She raised the hand grasped on Wirt’s, lifting them to the air. “Embrace your inner nerd, Wirt! Dipper accepted that fact a long time ago.”

Her twin grunted and mumbled, “I just ignore you.”

Mabel pinched Dipper’s cheeks and laughed as he nudged her. “Aww, but we love you just the way you are. Don't we Greg?”

“Yes, brother o’mine. You wouldn't be you if you weren't who you are!”

“Oh no, that’s it. They've finally teamed up against us,” Dipper shot Wirt a grin. “What do you think? I'm sure if we joined we could take them down easily.”

“Yes, I’m sure we could,” he chuckled, his nose scrunching and his cheeks turning pink. Dipper reprimanded himself for thinking it was a cute sight.

“Rebellion!” Mabel chirped.

“Hey, you started it.”

He bent over to look at Wirt, who was smiling shyly, maybe a little too surprised of how quickly the twins have warmed up to them.

Dipper swallowed hard, trying to ignore the feeling of a tickle traveling up his stomach.

* * *

The Gravity Falls Library could seriously leave you open-mouthed, depending on the way you looked at it. For Wirt, it wasn't because it was enormous or ostentatious but it had an antique feeling he really liked. It reminded him of the ones back home.

"Where do we start?" Wirt wondered, gazing at the multiple shelves.

"The section we look for is actually pretty hidden." Dipper peeked at the few people who were sitting in various cushions, listening attentively to an old man wearing a big brown hat and crazy green glasses. Besides them, they were practically alone.

"Ok, um nice."

“And do not attract attention,” Dipper added.

“Great, my specialty,” Wirt mumbled just for him to hear, but Zoë had settled down on his head and at his words, she decided to hit him with her beak. Wirt glared at her before turning to Dipper. “But why? Are we going to a prohibited section?” he joked. He hadn’t expected to see the twins shrugging, their smiles a dangerous combination of wicked and hesitant. “Oh gosh, we are. We have met for like two days and we’re already partners in crime.”

“What can we say?” Mabel grinned. “We are pretty smooth.”

Dipper huffed. “It’s not a big deal. They’re already used to us doing weird stuff. They won’t mind or ask questions.”

“That means we are on a secret mission?” Greg asked. “As in burglars? Or spies? We have been burglars so we have experience in that!”

“Seriously?” Dipper beamed at Wirt and bumped their shoulders together. “Didn’t see you as someone who could be one. No offense.”

“None taken,” Wirt said, uncertain. He guessed not having the appearance of someone who could rob was a positive quality so he was going to take it as a compliment. “But we weren’t- Greg, for the last time, we weren’t trying to steal anything.”

Greg neither agreed nor denied the statement, rather, deciding to whistle a tune.

“Greg! We _weren’t_ ”. Wirt wrinkled his nose. “We didn’t do anything,” he repeated, this time, addressing the twins.

“I believe you,” Dipper assured. “And relax, we aren’t doing anything illegal enough to put us in jail.”

But the fact that they were acting cautiously didn’t help their case at all, even less when the twins took them to one of the deepest parts of the library where there was barely light.

Mabel decided to sit at the round table and Greg followed her example. Ronald had chosen to turn into a chameleon, his skin mimicking the brown of the wood.

“Dipper’s right. We are here for a specific book,” Mabel replied. “It's not even the library’s so it doesn't count as stealing.”

“Last summer Mabel and I found a book about different ways of separation,” Dipper continued, lowering to his knees, getting the books out of the lowest shelf. “Grunkle Ford decided that it would be for the best if we keep it hidden.”

“Stan wanted to burn it, but Ford said we never know when it could come up in hand,” she finished as she passed him a small crowbar Wirt hadn’t even realized she had hidden beneath her sweater.

“Keep talking,” Dipper suggested. “I don’t want them to hear me opening this thing.”

Wirt reconsidered the idea of joining his brother and Mabel at the table, remaining stood up, doing his best to block Dipper’s body from the open area of the section they were sneaking in. It wouldn’t hurt to keep watch, just in case anyone suspected for whatever reason and decided to come over.

“How long are you going to stay here?” Mabel asked when the sound of metal colliding was heard.

“I think our parents said the whole month. Right, Wirt?”

Wirt was doing his best to stay on earth. He didn’t let his mind wandered on his usual path, which often disconnecting him from the world. He was curious about the book, nervous about being discovered and a little annoyed with himself for acting so paranoid.

“Wirt? Wirt!” Greg repeated, snapping his fingers.

“Yes.” Dipper placed the crowbar on the floor alongside a chunk of wood. Great, if they didn't get arrested for breaking in, they would surely be because of property damage. “We are staying the whole month. Even if we solve my...issue.”

“Nice! We can hang out the whole time if you want,” Mabel gushed. “There are lot of- ”

“Mabel!” Dipper cut in, the shakiness of the single word making them jump. Wirt peered behind his back to make sure the noise hadn't disturbed the people in the building or called attention. “No, no, no. It was supposed to- We didn’t say- No one could have known- ”

“Hey.” Mabel and her dæmon rushed at his brother’s side. “Dipper, calm down you’re not making any sense.”

“Mabel,” he rasped out, “it’s gone.”

She shot him a puzzled look. “What? You mean-”

Wirt leaned in to scan the hole he had made, the size of a shoe box, five plane surfaces made of steel with dust. And it was empty.

“The book. It's gone.”


End file.
